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Steampunk Inspired Food for The Girl With the Iron Touch

May 5 |17:04

Symptoms: steampunk withdrawal, Cure: Steampunk inspired food.

A few years ago, you couldn’t turn around without a hitting a new YA steampunk novel off a shelf. Now, books being published in that subgenre have slowed down, but my appetite for pocketwatches and Victorian style surroundings has not.

Hence, steampunk-inspired food that will not only fill your stomach but your HEART…that looks like an actual human heart and not romantic-y rounded version. It’s very stemapunk.

Steampunk-Inspired Food for The Girl with the Iron Touch

Pages and Pairings insurgent read breathe relax

Pages & Pairings is a Read.Breathe.Relax. feature that matches up our favorite book and stories with tasty food and drinks. Reading should be a full sensory experience!

In these posts I’ll include links to the recipes so you can make these tasty treats yourself.

Eat, read and be merry!

Ingredients for Steampunk Inspired Food:

If you haven’t read the amazing Steampunk Chronicles series by Kady Cross, you’re missing out.

Fortunately, you can remedy this problem by picking up her latest book in the series – The Girl with the Iron Touch – and making one of these easy Steampunk-ish recipes!

The Girl with the Iron Touch’s menu includes:

Tentacle Pot Pies

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I think it’s due to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but you can’t Google “steampunk” without seeing your fair share of octopuses. These ADORABLE Tentacle Pot Pies from on Babble combine all the delicious golden flakiness of chicken pot pie with the creative juices (<--food joke!) of steampunk geniuses.

PLUS – in the opening scene of The Girl with the Iron Touch, there’s TOTALLY an epic battle between Emily and a pissed off giant squid. After the scene fades out, feel free to poke your pot pie meanly with your spoon.

Cog Cookie Cutter

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What I love about this super cute cog cookie cutter from Etsy is that you can use whatever cookie batter you like most and get amazing results every time. I especially love cookies half dipped in chocolate – they are especially good for dunking.

Plus, I’m pretty sure that at every proper afternoon tea there has to be some sort of cookie or biscuit for the event to be legit. And jam and/or clotted cream.

Tootsie Roll Steampunk Cupcakes

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Because it’s crazy to have just ONE dessert, here’s another option for those of you who are serious or aspiring bakers – Tootsie Roll Steampunk Cupcakes from Bakingdom. It is essentially a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting with a swag Steampunk tootsie hat on top. Kind of a big deal.

So freaking adorable I can’t stand it.

What theme specific food have you made for a party (or just for fun)? Would you or have you made steampunk inspired food??

Book Review: The Girl With the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Apr 1 |07:58

Another steampunk book coming atcha – The Girl With the Iron Touch! Another foray into the mysterious world of London where automatons and organities creep in the night.

Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles) by Kady Cross

Genre: YA –

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Series: Steampunk Chronicles #3

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

How I Got the Book: ARC via NetGalley

Description:

“In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What’s left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends’ lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke’s sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him…and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel’s desolate alleyways to Mayfair’s elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist’s ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she’s to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn’t know she has….”

Get Your Daily Dose of Steampunk

I have been a fan of Kady Cross’ Steampunk Chronicles from book 1 (The Girl with the Steel Corset), so I’ve come to love the awesome steampunk-ness of this series and the motley crew of characters.

Even though The Girl in the Clockwork Collar didn’t suffer from the second-book syndrome, there was a little something missing from The Girl With the Iron Touch.

Let’s start with good stuff: In The Girl With the Iron Touch, the action and adventure has a strong center on Emily, our beloved Irish automaton-maker with the fine, ropey hair. Sam is being just as dense as ever about his feelings for Emily, and when she’s kidnapped from Griffin’s home, shizz gets real for this will-they, won’t-they couple.

I love Emily and Sam. They are super cute and taking it slow. There’s not a whole lot of spicy moments between them, but I think that’s ok. They’re romance is different from Finley and Griffin’s, and I like the change-up.

Plus, there’s ton of steampunk to go around. The book starts off with an evil octopus strangling the life out of a submarine the crew is trying to escape from. YES! And, there’s always the new automaton invention from Emily and the speeding velocycle from Griffin.

I also really liked the addition of a new character that I can already tell we’re going to see more of in future books. I assummed this was the last book in the series, as most YA books cap out at three, but I just read on Goodreads that there will be five books total of the Steampunk Chronicles, not including the prequel novella.

Lost Some Steam

The main trouble with The Girl With the Iron Touch is that it lost some of it’s steam (pun intended) about halfway through. I found myself pushing through the story and struggling to find the spark that started it all.

I think part of the problem is that two books into the story, there starts to be some overlap in themes and tropes. For example, Griffin has consistently been the protector of the group and the leader. He and Finley have been going back and forth in several books about how she can take care of herself, and Griffin says how he knows that but still wants to prevent her from harm.

So in this book, when this whole pattern is repeated in a different way, I just got bored. It’s a trope that Harry Potter almost killed to death (although J.K. can do no wrong in my book), and this series is repeating the same types of things.

There are a few other instances where the lack of surprise and newness is a disappointing.

OVERALL:

I enjoyed “seeing” these awesome characters again. They’re so interesting and fun, and I liked how this book focused on the machine-speaker Emily. The Girl with the Iron Touch still has all the steampunkness a reader could want and ask for but seemed to lose some momentum in its storytelling.

Book Review: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Oct 17 |08:00

The Dark Unwinding had me pining again for MOAR stempunk! It definitely hit the spot and surprised me in the best ways.

Book Review: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

GoodReads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Genre: YA Fantasy – Steampunk

Release Date: September 1, 2012

Series: Standalone (?)

Publisher: Scholastic

How I Got the Book: ARC via the Publisher

Description:

“A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman’s inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle’s world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.”

Steampunk Returns

I’d been missing steampunk and I didn’t EVEN KNOW IT! I loved The Dark Unwinding – it was a wonderful combination of suspense, creepiness and…love (it strangely fit it, I swear).

One of the first things that drew me into the book was the heroine, Katherine Tullman, who is tough, appropriately selfish but ulimately sacrificing. She doesn’t exactly live a life of privilege, as she works for her terrible Aunt Alice who controls her money…and fate.

When Katherine has to vouch for the sanity of her eccentric uncle, she dives into a creepy castle of automatons and whispered voices.

At first, I was worried. I CANNOT handle really scary things. Or even slightly scary things. So, I was a little wary with The Dark Unwinding.

Although there’s nothing that screams “horror” about the book, there are definitely some spine-tingling moments that creeped me out. But, if you’re like me, you can definitely handle this novel. It offers tons of mystery without the obligatory spook factor.

There’s not a classic love triangle in the book – but there’s definitely some tension between Katherine and her uncle’s assistance, Lane, and the visiting Ben, from a prestigious college.

Other Things I Loved

The “evil stepmother” figure
Eccentric uncles (in books and real life)
Amazing food-related descriptions (nom!)
Plot that knows how to move

OVERALL

This book was fantastic! I loved the willful stubbornness of Katherine that paired with her uncle’s gentle craziness and Lane’s gruff personality. The Dark Unwinding is a great book to curl up at night – just make sure you don’t creep yourself out!

Book Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

May 28 |08:27

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar is the continuing story of Finley Jayne and her steampunk adventures – set in gritty New York City instead of sophisticated London.

Book Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

GoodReads | Amazon | Author Website

the girl in the clockwork collar kady cross

Title & Author: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Genre: Young Adult Fiction – Fantasy (Steampunk)

Release Date: May 22, 2012

Series: 2st book in the Steampunk Chronicles

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

How I Got the Book: ARC via NetGalley

Description:

“In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling – or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.”

Steampunk FTW

Full disclosure: I’m obsessed with steampunk. I love the whole idea behind it. AND, I especially love the anachronistic and edgy nature of the setting. Also, the corsets and amazing clothes described don’t hurt either.

That being said, even without the steampunk awesomeness, I would have loved The Girl in the Clockwork Collar anyway. Finley Jayne is a fantastic heroine who is equal parts daring, foolhardy and sass. Her adventures in the Big Apple add interest to her already intriguing story and background.

Cross does a great job of adding action throughout the story and keeping it varied – like fights with the gangs of New York, interactions with weird inventions made by Tesla and a mysterious girl with clockwork chockers on her neck. The pacing was balanced, and I always felt like something exciting was happening.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar had a TON of romantic tension. For those of you who get bored with books after the romantic interests have been all settled – don’t worry – nothing gets resolved in this book. Finley and Griffin are so much at odds in this book that I was almost worried about what choices both of them would make!

A Sequel to Appreciate

Just like in The Girl in the Steel Corset, this novel has fantastic descriptions of the setting (I love how New York in the 1800s is described), the clothes, the steampunk-ed inventions and Finley and her friends’ Organite-spawned abilities.

I think that The Girl in the Clockwork Collar is a great sequel – it has none of the typical sophomore slump troubles I’ve seen so far this year, and for that I’m extremely grateful.

OVERALL:

Whether you’re looking for a great series or want to dabble in steampunk books, definitely pick up The Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was fun, fast-paced and highly entertaining, plus it was a fantastic sequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset.

Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway

May 25 |08:12

I hope my Novel Accessory post the other day whet your appetite for awesome steampunk jewelry…because we’ve got a giveaway going on RIGHT NOW for two amazing pieces.

The first prize is from Elaina Louise Studios. She offered up the fabulous steampunk earrings below. You can find more from her on:

Etsy | Facebook | Pinterest | Flickr

Gorgeous, no?

Next up, we have a fantastic steampunk bookmark from Artful Goodies! How perfect!!

There will be TWO winners!! Enter to win this steampunk jewelry and accessories below!

Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway

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Posts Tagged ‘Steampunk’

Steampunk Inspired Food for The Girl With the Iron Touch

Steampunk-Inspired Food for The Girl with the Iron Touch